Call Forwarding

Call forwarding is a phone feature that sends incoming calls from one number to another, either always or only when a call is not answered.

Most phone carriers and business phone systems support several kinds of call forwarding:

• Unconditional: all calls go to the other number.
• No answer: calls forward after a set number of rings.
• Busy: calls forward when you are already on a call.
• Unreachable: calls forward when your phone is off or has no signal.

Small business owners use conditional forwarding to avoid missing calls. For example, a contractor can forward unanswered calls from a cell phone to an answering service or an AI receptionist. The caller still dials the usual number, and the business keeps its existing phone number.

How to set it up varies by carrier. Many US carriers use short codes dialed from the phone, and most smartphones have forwarding settings. Business phone systems usually handle it in an admin dashboard. Check with your carrier for the exact steps and whether there are charges.

Tips:

• Test forwarding by calling your number from another phone.
• Know what the caller hears. A greeting that says who they reached avoids confusion.
• If the forwarded line records calls, tell callers at the start.
• Remember to turn forwarding off when you no longer need it.